Stanley Cup Playoff Seeding -- Doesn't reward regular season consistency?

Postby **slappybrown** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 11:51 am

I am in the minority here, but even this bastardized version of the Patrick Division is superior to the old three-division disaster that preceded it. Remember the Southeast Division?

I think the current setup mitigates the unfairness of one division being far superior to the other in the conference (e.g., Metro #5 has more points than Atlantic #3 but misses). I would be open to a pure conference only, division-less setup, with a balanced schedule. That would reduce the intensity and frequency of certain rivalry games, but at least has the benefit of being the fairest setup.

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 11:53 am

I am rarely ever concerned with "fair" because everyone starts at 0-0-0 with 82 games to play. You control your own destiny from the get go. If you're not good enough, tough t****...

Oh no, a crap Philadelphia team misses in exchange for a crap Boston team...

Postby **slappybrown** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 11:56 am

Right, which is why I think either the current or pure divisional setup from the old days is the best option. Its fair enough and produces repeat playoff matchups (which I like) with relative consistency but also allows the wild card switching so that you can occasionally see "new" opponents before the conference finals. I'd rather play the Rags or Flyers every year.

Postby **columbia** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 12:16 pm

I'd be ok with a division only regular season, but that's not a popular idea. In fact, I think I might be the only one with that opinion.

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 12:49 pm

13 games against each division opponent...?

I'm a strong believer that you ought to be able to see every team play once. But I would make sacrifices for slightly less regular season games too...

Postby **columbia** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 12:55 pm

In fact, I think I might be the only one with that opinion.

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 12:56 pm

Yeah, I read it...I'm just wondering what your idea was...

Postby **columbia** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 1:03 pm

Well, I watch all of the games on TV, so if I want to catch the Oilers, I can just watch them against any team. I don't "need" them to come to Pittsburgh to catch them. Right there, I'm already removed from most NHL fans, as my decision to consume hockey has nothing to do with location or opponent.

I'm old school and hater inter league play in MLB, so I'd be fine with a rough and tumble division only season (full of hated) and them seeing what the rest of the league has to offer in the playoffs. It will never happen, so I wouldn't focus on it.

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 1:13 pm

I can dig it. We did have an Original 6 schedule feature 70 games for several seasons...so I can understand the mindset. I don't subscribe to it per se, at least not in the NHL...but I can understand...

I don't think, like you said, there's much of an appetite to revert back...but with technology rounding into shape to allow people to watch any game they want (except if you live near a team, apparently...), the need to have a team come to town is kind of mitigated...

That said, if I lived in Edmonton or Calgary or Vancouver and the dude that scored the Golden Goal for my country in an Olympics that, let's say was in Europe just for effect, and I never get to see him play live in his career...I'd be a Sour Howard about that I think...

Postby **King Colby** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 9:39 am

1 vs 8 is so much more intuitive and in my opinion can actually manufacture more unnatural rivalries. Divisional rivalries will always be there just by playing 4-5 times annually.

Remember when pens played Ottawa 2x in a row in the playoffs? It felt like a rivalry for a few years...

Postby **King Colby** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 9:43 am

And i agree with most here that if you just did 1-4 in each division there would be no gripe. Wanna get in? Dont be 5th.

Right now Florida has a legitimate beef. They have to face a better team in round 1 because their own division was too shitty

Postby **the wicked child** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 9:45 am

I hate pretty much everything they did schedule wise coming out of the lockout.

Uneven schedules... You play most teams in your division only one time more than the teams in the other division... Just silly.

Now that there are only 2 divisions, the old way of seeding would be more than adequate.

Postby **MR25** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 11:59 am

I do enjoy getting to see every Western team at home, though. You could go like 3 years without seeing the Oilers in the other format.